Petside Digest: Dogs and Babies and Geese, Oh My!

This week we discuss a $230,000 guard dog, babies who are less likely to be allergic to pets, and geese on the dinner table.

$230,000 Dog: Petside

Do you think you could swing $230,000 for a dog? One Minneapolis-area executive could…and did. In what’s widely considered a fairly unbelievable price, Minneapolis businessman John Johnson coughed up 230,000 big ones for an “executive protection” dog. As far as we’re concerned, if you’re going to pay that kind of price the pup better be on par with some of the pups from Navy Seal Team 6! What do you think? Do you think you’d be willing to part with that large sum for a dog? Let us know in a comment!

Infant Exposure to Pets Lowers Allergy Risk: Scientific American

You read the headline right: contrary to some prior beliefs, having a pet in the house with an infant is not likely to make your child allergic to animals in the future. According to Scientific American, having a pet around when your child is an infant actually increases your child’s chances of not having animal allergies all the way through age 18, though scientists aren’t sure exactly why this is. Well, as we at Petside obviously think: this is all the more reason to have a pet!

NY Geese Travel Southbound…to the Dinner Table: New York Times

It’s no secret that New York has had a problem with geese for several years. And the solution now is relocation…to the dinner table of Pennsylvanians. According to the article in the New York Times, slaughtered geese from this year will become food instead of being discarded in the city dumps. According to the report, the city killed 1,676 geese in New York City and western Nassau County (Long Island) last year.

We here at Petside aren’t really sure what to make of this. The whole business sounds kind of grisly, and we’re wondering if there’s a more peaceful way to solve the problem. What do you think? Let us know in a comment!

Tornado Victim Reunited With Pet: Paw Print Post

And this is definitely our feel-good story of the week. After weeks of separation due to the devastating tornado that tore through Joplin, a pet parent is now reunited with her pet. Truly, it is a beautiful and heart-warming sight.

Adoptable Pet of the Week: Onyx

Onyx is a 3-year-old Domestic Shorthair hailing from the New York area. She’s a cute girl, and would make a great lap cat for anyone seeking a gentle friend. If you can get over the superstition of black cats, give Onyx a chance! Help her find a home!